Since I'm Not Popular, PERSONA!
by BakaVSAll
Summary: Yu's life is turned upside down when an unexpected visitor gets in the way of planting his veggies. And after a couple of days, another person was thrown into the television! The gang must now save Tomoko, even with a twisted love triangle forming... (Rated K Plus for now, but may be bumped up later on.)
1. Flimsy Introductions!

"News flash! A video became viral on the world-famous website, Me Screen! The video was of a funny girl that forced herself to go on a camera, and within seconds, she fled her house! Her brother came in just to take the computer, because she couldn't even stop the recording. That was an amazing sight, watching someone run out of the sheer fright of being seen! And apparently, she was so scared, she ran to a small, rural town, though it seems that she'll be disguised. Her mother also came in recently, and she wanted us to locate her sad little daughter! At least I would say that, but she's apparently in high school already! Ooh, I can just taste the controversy coming from this girl's mother. There her mother is now! Let's go ask her some quest-"

I shut off the television. I guess that was just another tasteless news story. I wouldn't really know though, since I just stayed home all day, taking a good and long nap. Midterms were tough this time around, so there wasn't any time for social links. But that news story... if she came here, in Inaba, and was featured on the news, then it's only a matter of time. I guess I could check the Midnight Channel just in case that-

"Big bro! Want to go plant some paprika and tomatoes?" Nanako. It's a nice full moon outside, without a cloud in the sky. Of course she'd want to plant some veggies. "Sure. Hold on."

Nanako likes planting in the dark. She said that it'd make the plants enjoy the mornings more, but frankly, I don't think it'd make a difference either way. And since it's dark outside, I guess I should accompany her. Heading down the stairs, I see that Nanako already has the bucket full of seeds, though she seems to be struggling. It's really cute though.

"Big Bro, are there any other vegetables planted outside?" That's a good question... when was the last time I did some gardening? This whole "saving people" business is seriously eating up my time. Then again, I definitely wouldn't do gardening, out of all things. "I don't know, Nanako. Let's go check." We both grabbed our sandals, and, being the big brother, I opened the door. And, that's when my life turned upside down.

A terrifying creature was at our doorstep. The person didn't even knock... that's a little creepy. Maybe if the investigation team ever has another ghost story time, I'll tell them about this encounter. Anyways, it was clear that she was a rather frail high school student, but... she just looked... scarier than Teddie's 'bear' head... I should stay away from him at all times for the next three weeks if I'm getting his bear puns...

Anyways, her hair was tied up with two orange ribbons, but it was still a discombobulated mess. Her eyes looked dead and empty, but I guess that makes sense with the heavy bags under her eyes. Of course, her glasses might have been used to hide it, but... No, it didn't work. The glasses instead made her ridiculous eyes even bigger, and oddly, deader and emptier. Her outfit looked like what'd happen if someone took a girl's school uniform and tossed in in a washing machine, set to supreme overdrive, without any ironing. Even her knee-socks... One side is pulled up and the other one is around her ankle. Can't she pull up the other side? Wait... her shoes aren't even matching. What is with this girl?

"Big bro? What's..." Nanako? She's looking at her... and she isn't afraid? And now this girl's face is as red as... Yukiko. Well, is it! And Nanako isn't afraid of this stranger... Oops. Spoke too soon. Now she's backing up. I'll give it about five seconds before she runs away and-

"Big bro..." Okay. What now? Was I wrong? "Yeah, Nanako?" ...And she runs away. What's that all about? I think she went to Dojima's room. I'll think about it later. For right now... "Hello. Dojima residence. May I help you?" I don't know who you are, but a small step back, just in case. Her lips are moving... or are they trembling? Well... I see that she's trying to speak. But... I can't understand her. I'm sure that with all my reading, I should create a way so that I can understand her. Hmm... "Do you need any help?" She slightly moved her head yes. The worst possible outcome, and that's what I got. "Bad end."

"So, what can I do to help-" Uh... she's looking at me. And her eyes look... more alive now. That's a good change at least, but... Did I say something? "D-di-did y-you s... say b-bad end?" Shesh, you couldn't be trembling more. "Can you repeat yourself?" "D-did you say b-bad end?" Better, I guess. Wait... did I just say my thoughts out loud? Oh geez... this can't be getting worse. I'm so tired right now, that I can't filter my speech... "Um... I'm not sure. Anyways, how can I help you?"

Her elevator eyes... it's looking at me. She's... checking me out. Wow. This is getting more and more awkward by the minute. Nanako, why did you want to plant now at all times? "I-I-I... w-w-wah-wahs..." This girl. She seriously does not know how to speak... Actually, I was going to say Japanese, but I think that statement worked well by itself. It's like... what was that thing that kids play with... "Neo Featherman?" That stupid situation back at the daycare caused me so much trouble because there was a miscommunication from the kids. And this girl-

"Y-you know a-about Neo Featherm-man?" First, I said that out loud again. And second, knew it. You are an otaku. I knew it. But woah... "Your eyes are really shining." All because I mentioned two things? Maybe I should clarify that I'm not an otaku. I mean, yeah, I do a lot of read...ing... I said something else, and now her face is blood red. Why can't I just stop saying these things?

"W-w-w-w-wh-wha-wha-aht-aht-t-t?" That set her off. Not only is she an otaku, she's a social... out...cast... Just like Mitsuo... No. I'm not going to put them together! GET THE IMAGE OUT OF MY HEAD! Focus, stupid! It's not even a full hour yet of being awake, so of course I'm saying stupid things. "Besides, I'd rather go out with you my-" GAH! That's it. My hand is staying on my mouth. No more stupid words are leaving my mouth. I've never been this sleep deprived before... So I should never go through five all-nighters during a midterm week. Otherwise, I accidentally ask out the first girl I see. Rise is going eradicate my existence!

Well... this isn't a surprise. She's taking a slow step backwards. I can't blame her... I guess the only way out is to be the bigger person. "Look... I'm sorry. I'm just really tired, and I guess I'm saying things out loud..." Okay. There. No more awkwardness... why is she still blushing? "Wh-what sh-should I do?" Do? "Do with what?" "How I look..." Her face just went from red to blue... is she going to pass out? No! People are going to think that we did that! "J-just calm down. Just... close your eyes." She did it. She closed her eyes. Why does she look like she's going to fall over? "Just don't fall over, okay?" No response. Remember... social links... Right! I forgot about those! That's why I'm putting up with this even though my life was in danger like fourteen times this year so far. Alright... time to... make over? What in the world...

...And done. I did what I could with nothing on hand. Her hair's still a mess, but I just fixed the tied up parts, so it could pass as somewhat cute. She doesn't need the glasses, seeing that there's no lens. I even pulled her shirt and skirt so it looked like it was ironed a week ago instead of looking like the washing machine was set to 'tornado.' And that's pretty good for someone without an iron. I fixed her knee socks, and... well... her shoes... what in the world could have I done? I gave her my slippers. It doesn't work with the school uniform, but it's unisex, and it's definitely better than mismatching shoes. I'm surprised that she actually looks cuter than scary. But my real surprise was that she never responded. She's... not dead, right? Dojima's going to-

"Zzz..." Asleep. Good. I suppose her bags had some reason. Time to wake her up. "Excuse me miss..." Nothing. "Um... Miss?" Nope. How about some water? Nanako left the bucket her, and it has some water. I guess I'll just pour a tiny bit on her head. "Whaah? Wh-where am... I...?" Did she feel nervous in her dreams, and sleepwalked or something?... Footsteps? But she's standing in place... Oh no. Don't tell me Dojima is just now coming home from work...

Why am I always right? "U-uh... hey Dojima..." He's just staring at me, not at her. He's... not saying a word. Uhh... Maybe he's drunk?... No. His face shows that he's just tired. But what... he's smiling-

"So, this is that girlfriend of yours? Nice to meet you." GIRLFRIEND? No! No! Just... NO! … She collapsed. No. No! No! "Dojima, this isn't what it-" "I'm sure this is your girlfriend. I'm sure that it is, otherwise she wouldn't be here on our front porch, right?" Is this social link really worth it? Gahh! I give up...

"Yes. She's my girlfriend." Rise... I'm not a cheater... I hope you can believe me... "Well... looks like she's tired. Why don't you bring her to your room for now? I better not hear anything from you room aside from small chatter, or else both of you are coming with me to the station." Is this a threat? This is how he is as a father? And now I get to sleep with a stranger. I'm so confused... Yup. My life is turned upside down.

"Okay... just give me a moment..." He went inside. I didn't know what to do. Dojima invites a stranger in, to my room, and lets her sleep there. I guess I just have to bite the bullet, now that he's expecting her to stay. Alright... time to pick her- Great. And to finish up today's nonsense, I didn't harvest the crops. My Soul Tomatoes... Anyways... now, to pick her up. One... Two... Three! Woah. She's really light. I guess she is pretty fragile. I carried her to my room and placed her on my bed. I guess I do have a couple of blankets or... something. I'll place that on the floor. Geez... despite the day long nap, I don't think I'll be waking up tomorrow feeling great. This is just the beginning...


	2. Worst Coincidences!

**Hey. Yu here. I want to clarify something. It's about the author. He said that he got a message concerning me. It was about how I was portrayed, and the person who sent it said that I wasn't representative of how I actually am in the games. Tell me, how am I supposed to be, if the player influences how I am? The author played Persona 4 Golden, making me into... well... a pretty okay guy, though I can sometimes be an idiot... And I will hate the author for that. I'll give you some time to think about how I actually am supposed to be. In the mean time, CHAPTER 2!**

"Uunngh..." My back hurts so much... What is going on? Oh wait... that dream, about a crazy shy girl staying at my house and me sleeping on the floor as a result... That better not be what actually happened. And then, I looked at my bed. I would love to scream all the profanities that I could think of, but... it's 6:20 A.M. Nanako's still sleeping. Should I wake this girl up? I don't even know her name! Screw it, maybe she'll hate me and never want to see me ever again. "Uh... hey. Wake up. Hello?"

Oh my goodness, she's a stone when she sleeps. I know it was late last night. I know she was probably exhausted from Dojima's ridiculous comment, but I wouldn't think that- _"__Wasurenai yo, daiji na minna to sugoshita mainichi..." _Oh great. My phone. Where is it? That's Rise's ringtone, and today's the day we were supposed to go on a date. Oh no, the girl's waking up!

"Sh-shut up... Shut up... SHUT UP!" My phone was... underneath her. I really should have cleared the space more carefully. And now it's in her hands... if she opens it, my love is over! "Hey! Give me that phone!" I really should have been... courteous, but Rise's one to be jealous. I remember how she reacted when she heard that Naoto was more... endowed than her. It wasn't pretty. If she hears another girl answer... No!

"_Morning Yu!" _No! This stupid girl opened my phone! Why did I have to get a flip phone instead of a smart phone? _"Yu?" _Oh... Okay. She closed my phone... and she's huddling under my blanket. This stranger, in clothes that might have been dirty by... anything, is now all over my bed! And I just put down those sheets too...

"Hey. Wake up." My patience is now gone. This girl, gotta leave now! "Mmm..." Her eyes aren't even open yet! Come on, I just want you to leave. My life is already confusing... "Wake up!" I pulled the blanket as hard as I could, and she rolled onto the floor, where I was sleeping. And at once, her eyes opened up. "Huh?" ...And those eyes are now pointed at me.

"Ahh! W-w-w-wh-wh-wha-wha-wha-what are y-y-y-yo-you d-d-d-doing here?" Still unable to speak. I'll give you this much: you're are really unique. "This is my room. You slept here throughout the entire night. But... can you-" And she's out cold again. Is it really that shocking to be in another person's- oh wait. This girl isn't normal. How can I forget?

But, at least, with her being unconscious, I can grab my phone, and call Rise. Wait... where is... oh. It's in the girl's hand. Alright, I suppose that'll do. ...Got it. Alright, time to- _"Wasurenai yo, daiji na minna to sugoshita mainichi..." _Another call? Okay. At least I'll be able to answer it. "Mmm..."

"_Yu, what happened?" _Thank you, finally someone normal to talk to. "Hey Ri-" "T-Thanks for turning off the alarm." Alarm? What alarm? _"Yu, who was that?" _She heard. Rise heard this girl. Why? I'm going to explode! That's it, I'm leaving this room for now. "Sorry about that..." I slammed the door right behind me, you know, just in case. _"Yu, who was that? You better not have another girl over your house!" _Good word choice, Rise. Now I'm nervous... "A-aside from Nanako, there is no other girl in my house." Oh geez... can this get any worse? _"Are you sure?" _Am I sure? I'm lying! "Yes. I am sure..." _"Na... ku... Yu... be... lie... me..." _What? I think she's talking to someone that's with her. But... what did she say?

"_Yu-kun, are you there?" _Naoto? Why is she with Rise? It's... oh. It's 7:01. Shesh, getting that girl out of my bed took WAY too long. "Yeah, why?" I'm hearing some more chatter, but I can't tell what they're saying. _"Yu-kun. Just tell me what happened. I won't tell Rise." _Yeah right! You two are together, close enough to hand each other the phone. Rise is suspicious. And why is Naoto helping her? "D...Duh... uh... Nothing. Nothing happened. I was just surprised that the phone rang. I may have opened it, and closed it out because I wanted to silence that phone." Naoto, you like formal speech, right? Right? I'm hearing some more talking that I wish I could hear. _"I KNEW IT! YU, WHY ARE YOU LYING TO ME? WHO IS OVER THERE? WHO IS SHE? WHO-" _I closed my phone. Yup... she's angry. How in the world am I going to explain this now?

Calm down. Let's think this through... There's this girl in my house, identity is unknown. Rise calls, and thinks that I'm cheating on her because she had to open her mouth OUT OF ALL TIMES, NOW. That's so frustrating! Not to mention, Naoto helped Rise figure out that I was lying. I know that's what happened! What to do... I know. Get this girl out of my house ASAP, and... I guess I'll hide the situation. There's no way Rise will believe that a girl stayed over, and we did NOTHING. First thing's first. Time to get this girl out of- _"Wasurenai yo, daiji na minna to sugoshita mainichi..." _Again? "Hello?" Wait... it's not my phone. That girl has a cell phone? I opened the door, and looked at her right arm flailing all over the place, like a dying whale.

"Rrggh... Ughh... b-be quiet..." Oh, she's gonna scream again. Nanako didn't wake up, but.. my head hurts! Following this stuff is too much! And wait... she passed out! Maybe she's faking it, and she really is a psychotic girl. "Quiet..." "Hey! Wake up!" I kicked her stomach, and hopefully that'll make her get up. "Oof... fine, I'm getting up..." She reached inside her pocket, and pulled out her cell- is that a smartphone? And THIS junk phone is the best I can get? "Listen you..." "I'M GETTING UP, TOMOKI!" Tomoki? "Who's Tomoki?" She's looking at me again. This cycle of her passing out is gonna continue. You know what? I have no choice. I have to leave, and hope she leaves on her own. There's nothing I can do! I'd kick her out... but I don't think I can do it... I'm so angry that I want to, but... I still can't. Whatever. I grabbed my clothes, and headed downstairs.

Shesh. This couldn't have turned out any worse. All my thoughts are all jumbled up now. Whatever, shrug it off. I'll try calling Rise again. I changed in the bathroom, and I hear knocks on the door. "Big Bro? Are you in there?" Nanako. Some days, I really wish she was my little sister. "Hey Nanako. It's still early. Why are you awake?" School is out of session for this weekend, and today's the last day. So her being awake at this time... it's a little odd.

"I still want to plant the veggies outside!" Oh man, I forgot about the planting. "Okay. I'm going to be hanging out with my friends. Will you be fine by yourself?" Those Soul Tomatoes are fantastic for the television stuff. I better thank her later for planting more. "Yeah. I'll watch over the house." Best. Sister. Ever. "Thanks, Nanako!"

Once I was done changing, I tried calling Rise again. After two rings, I hear the loveliest voice I could have ever heard. _"The person you have called is not available. Please call back later." _It was Rise, trying to play telephone operator. She's still mad. "Rise, I'll explain everything. Can we please just meet up?" There was a little silence in between what I asked and her answer. That silence, which my phone recorded as five seconds, felt like three centuries.

"_Fine. Meet me at the Central Shopping District. But you better have a good reason for lying to me!" _And with that, she hung up. I know she's a jealous person. Heck, that's one of the things that makes her so... so adorable! But, every so often, this comes up. I mean, there was a point where she thought that me and Yosuke were dating! Seriously, this girl can be so dense sometimes.

Well, I gotta stop thinking about it. Otherwise, my day will be ruined. Hopefully, I can fix this social link. _"Now I face out I hold out, I reach out to the truth of my life..." _What? Oh. Yosuke is calling. Don't tell me he knows too... "Hello?" "Yo, hey Yu! It's suppose to rain today." Okay. It's about the Midnight Channel. "Oh. Well, I guess I'll watch it." "Yeah. Me and Teddie saw the news story about a chick running away from home, and somehow ending up in Inaba. I also heard a lot of people talking about the girl... uh... Tomoko? Either that or Tomoki. Something like that." Tomoki... didn't that girl say that her name was Tomoki or something? "Uh... Alright. I'll keep a lookout." Tomoki... Oh no... That girl's in danger! Why? Why her? Why not Hanako, or Ms. Kashiwagi? "Cool. See you later, Yu." Sounds like Yosuke hung up. Oh geez... Whatever. I'll focus on that once it's midnight. They always turn up fine anyways, especially when we go in RIGHT before the fog sets in here. For right now... what should I say to Rise?

Now that I realized it, I'm... already in the Central Shopping District. Curse that wretched teleportation function! But... where is she? How about the shrine? No... How about her family's tofu shop? Actually... no. She isn't there. But... of course. Why is Tomoki there? Thinking about it... how did she even get here before I did? And... should I actually... talk her or something? I still haven't established a social link with her... maybe she might actually give something good... Maybe she'll be able to use a Persona that'll learn Mind Charge, Megidolaon, and Salvation. That would be perfect for a Persona for her! I'll be a Jack-of-all-Trades Frost! I've been struggling to get that combo without wasting my time and money from that long-nosed swindler... Screw it. As long as Rise doesn't get the wrong idea, I should be fine.

"Tomoki!" She turned around and looked at me. She had tofu smeared all over her face. Wow, is this another Chie, or is she just a messy eater? I walked towards her. Her face already became red, and she started shaking like a tree on a windy day. "A-a-a-a..." She's broken. Let me try again... "Tomoki?" I think if I say her name louder than a whisper, she'll become deathly afraid of me. "M-my n-name..." Your name? Well, I suppose it was a shock... "... u-uh... i-i-it's... u-u-uh... T-To-m-m-mo-k-ko..." Ttommokko? Oh wait... I forgot to autocorrect. Tomoko... wait. Yosuke said it's either of those two names... Shoot. Was this girl really the one who made that video? She doesn't seem to be the want attention... right?

"Oh, I'm sorry... I thought your name was Tomoko... And... sorry about what my uncle said yesterday." I wonder if she'll faint if I say it here... "E-e-eh... i-i-it-it's f-f-ine..." That's good. I guess she'll be my next soc- "Af-ft-ter a-all..." Hm? "H-he j-just s-said yo-you're m-my..." She stopped... talking. Her face is so red, I wouldn't be surprised if her heart stops right now! "MY BOYFRIEND!" Uh... Her face changed from ridiculously shy, to terrifying, just for a split second. And... she's running. And... she's out of the store... And, I can't see her anymore. Ahh... Great. It doesn't matter how many times I worked in that daycare, I'm never going to understand her...

"Yu!" That voice. No, please, just tell me SHE didn't witness it! I turned around, and there she was. Rise. My life... is now over.


End file.
